Review of the Day: Mary and the Mouse, the Mouse and Mary (Part Two)
(CONTINUED FROM PART ONE)
Now a more peculiar part of what I liked about this book was the appearance of the mice themselves. Most illustrators avoid accurate representations of mousey feet because they look… well, they look a bit unappealing. With their long soles and tiny toes at the end, mice have really really weird tootsies. McClintock wasn’t afraid to show `em like they were, though. I was delighted to see this too. The only other time I’ve ever seen mouse feet done correctly in a picture book was in Minnikin, Midgie and Moppet Mouse Story by Adelaide Holl as illustrated by the horrendously talented Priscilla Hillman. But then, that’s just me.
I should be a good girl and not forget to compliment Ms. Donofrio on her story as well. A writer who, at this point in time, is perhaps best known for her memoir "Riding in Cars with Boys", I wasn’t quite sure where the author was taking this story as I read it. Just glancing at it I was surprised at the idea of abandoning the first pair of children and picking up with their own offspring. Particularly when you consider that the last we hear of the original Mary and the mouse, they’ve simply grown up and started families. There seems to be a lot of regret on the part of the older generation. I did like the fact that their children are really the ones to break down barriers and say hi to one another, perhaps even to someday be friends, when their parents did not. Lest you start thinking that this is some didactic treatment of "overcoming prejudice" and the like, allow me to reassure you that the lesson here is subtle. Far more obvious is Donofrio’s smart wordplay and efficient use of her sentences. It allows for a book that is very touching, even when there isn’t an abundance of weepy sentiment going on. It is spare, crisp, clean writing.
Some people have compared this book to Mary Norton’s "The Borrowers", when viewing the tiny household items that make up the mouse homes. I’m not entirely certain the comparison is fair, but it’s probably the best there is out there anyway. With its beautiful illustrations, thick paper, and sublime watercolors I’m just utterly charmed by the pairing of Donofrio and McClintock. Perhaps if we are all good little librarians and parents and dutifully buy this book in droves then maybe we’ll be lucky enough to have another pairing of these two women in the near future. Hey, man. A girl can dream.
Misc:
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An interview with author Beverly Donofrio.
Filed under: Reviews
About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social
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